MIAA spring sports coaches offer pre-season predictions

Even as snow blankets the landscape in West Michigan, the thoughts of green grass and mild temps are on the minds of spring sports coaches in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Assoiation (MIAA) who are offering their pre-season predictions.

BASEBALL
Four-time defending champion Adrian has been selected to repeat as MIAA baseball champions. The Bulldogs, who ran away with last season’s championship with a 24-4 record, finishing six games ahead of their nearest competition, received seven of a possible eight first-place votes in the coaches poll. Hope, which was picked to finish second, received the other first-place vote.

SOFTBALL
The MIAA softball race is highly competitive every spring, and this season appears to be no different. Defending regular season champion Trine and Alma, which won the conference tournament last season, are the co-favorites to win this season’s championship. They each received 12 points in the poll, with the Thunder capturing five first-place votes and the Scots four.

MEN'S LACROSSE
Adrian has been chosen as the preseason favorite to win the first MIAA men’s lacrosse championship. The Bulldogs received six of a possible seven first-place votes in the preseason poll of MIAA coaches. Albion was picked to finish second, while Trine, which received the other first-place vote, was selected third.

Adrian won the Midwest Lacrosse Conference last year with a perfect 9-0 conference record and finished 17-2 overall. This year marks the first season the MIAA is sponsoring lacrosse as a league sport.

WOMEN'S LACROSSE
Adrian is the preseason favorite to win the first MIAA women's lacrosse championship.
The Bulldogs, who won the Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference championship last year and advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament, received six of a possible seven first-place votes in the preseason. Hope, who was picked to finish second, received the other first-place vote. This year marks the first season the MIAA is sponsori lacrosse as conference sport.